Αkropolis Redux (The Director’s Cut)

In his work, Kendell Geers deals with modern history and power structures. His artistic research is based on the political history of South Africa, where he was born into a white family during the apartheid era. From the age of fifteen, he got involved in the anti-apartheid movement. His work is informed by issues of racial segregation, suppression, exploitation, racism, and violence. Geers often uses materials that signal danger such as sirens, broken glass, nails, and barbed wire; he creates installations, sculptures, neon works, video, and performances. His work Αkropolis Redux (The Director's Cut), which was commissioned by the National Museum of Contemporary Arts in Athens, is a monument that symbolizes a world dominated by danger and violence. As the title of the work indicates, the shape of this large scale installation refers to the Parthenon. In place of the temple's marble columns, the artist has installed barbed wire in rolls stacked up on steel shelves. The installation forms an enclosed space that evokes military equipment warehouses. The apparent danger, which is inherent, alludes to the artist's attempt to incorporate in his work the real-life danger, rendering the viewing of the work active and conscious. Daphne Vitali, ENTER EMST: Collection and history, A short guide, 2020

Credit: Loan from HCO to EMST, within the framework of the Cultural Olympiad